Friction brake



March 27, 1934. w. A. BLUME FRICTION BRAKE Filed ua 23,1951

1 J for.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,952,903 FRICTION BRAKE Application May 23, 1931, Serial No. 539,533

1 Claim.

This invention relates to friction brakes generally and it has for its object to provide a novel brake assembly of block and support especially adapted for rail cars as used by section and other employees of railroads.

It has been customary heretofore to provide rail cars with a solid wood brake block for each wheel, the block being provided with an opening to receive a pivot pin by which it is pivotally suspended from the car; and suitable brake lever devices are connected with the block for causing it to frictionally engage the tread of the wheel.

My invention has for its object to provide a support of novel and simple construction which can be pivotally mounted on the car and operated by the same means heretofore employed and which comprises a brake block detachably mounted on the support for engagement with the wheel and adapted to be easily replaced when worn out.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is aside elevation showing the invention in a simple adaptation, and

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation.

Referring to the drawing, 3 is ahanger which constitutes the support for the brake block 4. The hanger consists of a flat metal bar or elongated plate which is bent at its upper end and at the back thereof to form a pivot eye 5 in which a bushing 6 is arranged to receive a pivot pin on the frame of a rail car or other device. The support projects downward from the eye in an inclined position and the block it is secured on the face thereof by bolts '7 or other suitable fastening means. Any block suitable for the purpose may be used but I prefer to use a block having a composition body 8 and a reenforce back 9. The reenforce back may be made of wire mesh, as shown, or it may be a plate back or a shell back suitably united with the body to reenforce the body and assist in rigidly securing the shoe to the support. The back of the shoe is made to fit the face of the support and while I prefer that the face of the support shall be a plane flat surface, as shown,

' it may be curved to correspond more or less with the curvature of the face of the shoe to fit the tread of the wheel. In either case the shoe has a continuous solid bearing against the support throughout the length of its back and it is rigidly secured to the support by bolts which threadedly engage sockets 10 embedded in the body. A connector plate 11 is fastened by bolts 12 to the back of the support and is provided with an eye 13 to which the brake operating mechanism is connected.

The invention is simple in construction and eflicient in operation. The hanger support is easily made, is strong and substantial, and forms a convenient and accessible means for supporting the block in operative relation to a wheel. The construction is such that a block may be easily replaced without doing more than removing and replacing the bolt 7, and these bolts can be withdrawn at the back of the support to release the worn block which will then fall away from the front of the support; and then a new block can. be slid into place against the front of the support and the bolts applied at the back of the support to secure theblock on the support.

I have shown the invention in a simple embodi- 7 ment but it may be necessary or desirable to make changes therein to adapt the invention for different uses and conditions and I reserve the right to make all such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts within the 76 scope of the following claim.

I claim:

The combination of a rail car brake block support comprising a flat metal bar, said bar having its upper end bent on one side to form a pivot 80 eye on the back thereof to receive a pivot pin for suspending the bar in inclined position, a brake block comprising a composition body, a reenforce back embedded in said body at the back thereof, sockets embedded in and completely surrounded Si by the material of the body between the reenforce back and the wearing face of the block, the back face of said block and the front face of said support being complementary. and bolts passing through the support and through the reenforce back and the body and threaded into the sockets in the block to secure the block on the support.

WILLIAM A. BLUME. 

